Gyroscopic device



I Jan. 23, 1951 w, ws 2,539,363

GYROSCOPIC DEVICE Filed Sept. 12, 1945 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 GYROSCOPIC DEVICE John 'W. Dawson, West Newton, Mass., assignor to Raytheon Manufacturing Company, Newton, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application September 12, 19.45,.Serial1No..615,796

My present invention relates togyroscopic devices, and aims to provide a device of the general --character indicated which is simple, and inwhich friction is reduced toa minimum, therebyenabling the attainment of high angular momentum and consequent high gyroscopic stability.

"These, and other object of my present invention, which will become more apparent as the detailed description thereof progresses, are attained, briefly, in the following manner:

I provide a stator member, preferably, in the form of a hollow sphere, havinga driving-fluid inlet at one end of its normally vertical axis, and a driving-fluid :outlet, of somewhat reduced diameter, at the opposite end of said normally vertical axis. Seated over said stator member is a rotor member, preferably, in the form of a hollow, spherical segment, said rotor member including a .dome portion communicating with the interior of said stator member through the abovementioned driving-fluid outlet in the latter, and having a multiplicity of restricted reaction-turbine vents communicating with the exterior region surrounding the same. Carried by said rotor member is a member of appreciable mass, preferably, in theform of .an annulus secured to the rim thereof, said mass being uniformly distributed about the axis of said rotor member.

Now, a driving fluid, for example, air, upon being admitted to the interior of the stator member, flows through the outlet port in the latter and into'the dome portion of the rotor memher. The pressure of the driving fluid lifts the rotor member into spaced relationship with the Stator member. Said driving fluid escapes'from the dome-through the restricted reaction-turbine vents therein, and also through the space between the interior surface of the rotor member and the exterior surface of the stator member. The fluid escaping from the reaction-turbine vents causes the rotor member to spin, and the fluid escaping through the space between the rotor and stator members causes a reduced pressure in said space to balance the lift against the interior of the dome. If the pressure under the dome tends to throw off the rotor member, the increased velocity of the fluid escaping from between the rotor and stator members will further reduce the pressure in the inter-member space, thus compensating for the increased lift. These effects tend to maintain the rotor member located centrally with respect to the stator member. The angular momentum imparted to 6 Claims. (01. 74-153) the mass carried by the rotor gives to said .rotor a high gyroscopic stability, and the spin axis of said rotor member becomes fixed in space notwithstanding any shift ,in the direction of the axis of the stator member.

In the accompanying specification I shall describe, and in the annexed drawing show, an illustrative embodiment of the gyroscopic device of my present invention. It is, however, to be'clearly understood that I do not wish to be limited tov the details herein shown and described for purposes of illustration only, inasmuch as changes therein may be made without the exercise .of invention and within .the'tru'e spirit and scope of the claims .hereto appended.

In said drawing,

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view takenisubstantially through 'the'center of .a gyroscopic device made in accordance with the principles of my present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a partial transverse sectional partial top plan view-taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more in detail to the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of my present invention, withparticular reference to the drawing illustrating-the same, the numeral 5 generally designates a gyroscopic'device including a stator member 6 and a rotor member I.

The stator member 6 comprises, preferably, a hollow sphere 8 provided with an inlet tube 9 for admitting to the interior thereof a drivin. fluid, for example, air under pressure. The communication between the tube 9 and the sphere .8 is preferably at the lower end of the normally vertical axis of said sphere, the latter being fixed, for example, to the deck of a boat. At the opposite end of said normally vertical axis, the sphere 8.is provided with .a port In for permitting the escape of the fluid admitted to the 1 interior thereof, said port, preferably, being of smaller diameter than the inlet tube 9 so that the escaping fluid is under somewhat increased velocity.

The rotor member 1 is seated over the stator member 6 and comprises, preferably, a spherical segment H, for example, a hemisphere, provided the region of its greatest diameter, for example, 2

at the rim of the hemisphere here shown, in an annular member M of appreciable mass, the rotation of said annular member at a high angular velocity imparting thereto a high angular momentum, with the result that the rotor member acquires a high gyroscopic stability.

As a result of this high gyroscopic stability, the axis of spin of the rotor is unaffected by shifts in the direction of the normally vertical axis of the stator member, which shifts may be caused, for example, by the rolling or pitching of the boat carrying the device.

This completes the description of the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of my present invention.

I It will be noted from all of the foregoing that the device of my present invention is simple, has great stability, and, because of the fluid bearing utilized therein, can be operated with the expenditure of a minimum of energy.

Other objects and advantages of my present 1 being symmetrically disposed about the axis of said rotor; and means for admitting a driving fluid into the interior of said stator member.

2. A gyroscopic device comprising: a hollow stator member; a hollow rotor member disposed over said stator member, and having a major portion of its interior surface contour substantially following the exterior surface contour of said stator member; said rotor member including a chamber communicating with the exterior region surrounding the same, and with the interior of said stator member; a member of appreciable mass carried by said rotor, said mass being symmetrically disposed about the axis of said rotor; and means for admitting a driving fluid into the interior of said stator member.

3. A gyroscopic device comprising: a hollow, spherical stator member; a hollow, sphericalsegmental rotor member disposed over said stator member; said rotor member including a chamber communicating with the exterior region surrounding the same, and with the interior of said stator member; a member of appreciable mass carried by said rotor; said mass being symmetrically disposed about the axis of said rotor; and means for admitting a driving fluid into the interior of said stator member.

4. A gyroscopic device comprising: a hollow stator member; a hollow rotor member disposed over said stator member; said rotor member including a chamber communicating with the exterior region surrounding the same through a plurality of. reaction-turbine vents, and with the interior of said stator member through a port in the latter; a member of appreciable mass carried by said rotor; said mass being symmetrically disposed about the axis of said rotor; and means for admitting a driving fluid into the interior of said stator member.

5. A gyroscopic device comprising: a hollow,

spherical stator member; a hollow, sphericalsegmental rotor member disposed over said stator member; said rotor member including a dome providing a chamber communicating with the exterior region surrounding the same through a plurality of reaction-turbine vents, and with the interior of said stator member through a port in the latter; an annular member of appreciable mass carried by said rotor, said mass being symmetrically disposed about the axis of said rotor; and means for admitting a driving fluid into the interior of said stator member.

6. A gyrcscopic device comprising: a hollow stator member; a hollow rotor member seated over said stator member; said rotor member including a chamber communicating with the atmosphere through reaction-turbine vents, and with the interior of said stator member through a port in the latter; a member of appreciable mass carried by said rotor member; said mass being symmetrically disposed about the axis of said rotor member; and means for admitting a driving fluid into the interior of said stator member.

JOHN W. DAWSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 442,461 Sharples Dec. 9, 1890 464,806 Tower Dec. 8, 1891 1,932,412 Keen Oct. 31, 1933 2,133,809 Carter et a1 Oct. 18, 1938 2,158,048 Braddon May 9, 1939 

